3.0 getting bad MPGs

[4byranger2000xlt]

Just to compare with I have a 2000 extended cab 4x4 with the 3.0, 5-speed, 4.10 gears, 32" wild country all terrains, a pipe rack that is usually loaded, and my truck weighs in at 4760 lbs with me, a passenger, and a full tank of gas. I get 17.8 MPG's mixed driving. So 8 MPG's is pretty low, even for only doing ten mile trips. Do you let your truck sit and warm up before you drive it?

 

[Bigschwerm]

I only drive 4.3 miles to work most of it all stoplights ect... and i still get 300ish miles per tank. Something is deff. wrong

 

[stmitch]

I think there's a problem here too. I'd definitley pull the codes.
The biggest influences on fuel mileage are driver habits, and vehicle maintenance (Clean, properly functioning sensors, etc.). If you drive it hard, your wallet may suffer, especially with an auto 4x4 and big tires. If your trucks not well taken care of, your mileage will suck. If neither of those is the issue, then it could be something like a brake dragging, or a bad sensor somewhere, overdrive not engagin, or even something like a plugged cat. Has it always been this bad, or is it a new problem?

 

[fourwheelford]

Oh I just had a thought, a while back I read a post about something similar really low mpg but nothing else seemed wrong. They broke down and got it towed it turned out to be that both the front wheel bearings were toast. Mine made a bunch of noise the day it failed but it was bad for awhile could be worth looking into. Jack up the front end and grab the top and bottom of the tire and shake it back and forth to see if it moves, if it does replace the bearing, expensive but otherwise easy to do. I second the brake dragging also.

 

[midmob3000]

if one of your front calipers is dragging it could cause your mileage to go down. how long do you let your truck warm up befor you leave. and if you let it sit for 10 minutes to warm up its like driving 10 miles. you have to figure that as 0 mpg. when a vehicle is warming up it dumps more fuel to get to operating temp. at operating temp is when the 02 sensors start working and actually monitoring how much fuel its using.

 

[rangercrawler]

Does anyone else get 23 mpg around town?

I have a 2008 with a 3.0, I rev it up and I have low gears and I still get 23 mpg.

But I'm not complaining

 

[fourwheelford]

Your truck is a 5 speed though isn't rangercrawler? That helps quite a bit with the mpg's.

 

[rangercrawler]

that's true my man

 

[acroteau23]

just changed BOTH wheel bearings.....345 each. i pulled the codes and everything is perfect. im gonna look into the breaks and the cats. i have 3 cats tho. 2 pre cats and one where the two pipes meet. i did notice the caliper was really really hard to get off when changing the wheel bearing. thanks guys

 

[fourwheelford]

Ok I may know what your problem is now that you have changed the wheel bearings, when I did mine the passanger caliper would not contract or expand. There are two liitle rubber boots that cover to steel rods that hold the caliper together, one of mine had come off and rusted the piss out of that rod and kept it locked down so it would drag. My honda did the same damn thing. Take the wheel back off and check those rubber boots one of them may have a hole in it letting moisture in it should just slide back. If it is rusted up take the caliper apart and clean that rod with a wire brush get a new boot and use some lithium grease inside there to avoid this in the future. Just a theory of course but worth a look. Were the wheel bearings bad or did you replace them for the fun of spending 700 bucks?

 

[acroteau23]

alright thanks man. im gonna check that out! and yeah i love blowing my money on parts i dont need.....not. they were both clicking like crazy, as soon as i took off the hub springs and shit shot out at me. THEY NEEDED TO BE CHANGED!!! im gonna look into that, thanks

 

[fourwheelford]

No I figured that They are spendy little bastards aren't they? Are those the vacuum pulse ones, mine aren't they changed it basically right when my truck was made so I got lucky they are about 120 bucks cheaper.

 

[acroteau23]

yeah they are the vacuum ones. they suck!! when i go the truck the 4x4 didnt work so when i changed the bearing i put in manual hubs, i dont want to get stuck because they 4x4 fails. this way i know when i put it in 4x4 it goes no questioning. you are lucky cuz they did have the vacuum hubs from 98 to early 2000 so your lucky u missed it. the rods do look good tho. i just filled it again so ill see what this tank gets, it seems a little better. i did a tune up, smaller tires, and sea foamed it. thanks for the help and ideas

 

[Orie]

I have a 1991 super cab 4x2, was getting around 15 to 16 had the trans replaced , now Im getting 21+... that is until it started missing, figured it was plugs wires cap or rotor or fuel filter, then after a tune up died completely... still haven't figured it out... im down to the tfi and pip(i think)... I figure it has to be, everything else is new besides the brain.

 

[Orie]

oh yeah and yes it has a 3.0